The 2023 Boston Red Sox are a weird team because once in a while the entire roster collectively forgets that they are professional baseball players. This Red Sox squad has turned in the full game equivalent of a brain fart multiple times this season, a trait most commonly seen in terrible teams. What makes the Red Sox weird is that they are not terrible; in fact, they are seven games over .500 with a legit shot at a Wild Card spot. Their sudden bouts of utter incompentency have not prevented them from winning baseball games.
There was no greater example of this than last night's contest against the Atlanta Braves, a legitimately good team. After a rain delay the Red Sox kicked off the night with one of the more bizarre sequences you'll ever see. With men on second and third Christian Arroyo caught a line drive, then slowly jogged to second base in an attempt to force out Matt Olsen. But Olsen had been at the bag for a few seconds before Arroyo got there, making the attempt pointless. Then Arroyo decided to throw it to first base like it was a ground ball and he needed to throw the batter out, despite the fact that he had apparently caught the line drive, and threw the ball into the dirt before it careened into his own dugout.
Afterwards the umpires got together and ruled that Austin Riley hadn't tagged up from third before scoring during that sequence so Boston threw the ball over to get the force out for the inning-ending double play. Arroyo's insane throw didn't end up mattering. It was still one of the more bizarre things you'll ever see on the baseball field.
Or so you'd think! But the Red Sox managed to top themselves two innings later. In the bottom of the third this professional baseball team managed to stumble into a triple play on a fly ball to center field. Behold, baserunning more suited to the Little League track down the field from your house.
And, despite it all, the Red Sox won. Comfortably! They pulled out a 7-1 victory despite two of the dumbest plays you'll ever see on the diamond.
What a strange team.
This article was originally published on thebiglead as The Boston Red Sox Pulled Off Two of the Dumbest Plays You'll Ever See and Still Won.
